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Krzysztof Penderecki

Krzysztof Penderecki

Country of origin: Poland
Birthday: November 23, 1933
Date of death: March 29, 2020

Upcoming Performances

Polymorphia
Conductor: Alexander Hanson
Orchestra: Kungliga Filharmonikerna
October 18, 2024 | Stockholm (Sweden) , Konserthuset
Polymorphia
Conductor: Alexander Hanson
Orchestra: Kungliga Filharmonikerna
October 19, 2024 | Stockholm (Sweden) , Konserthuset

About Krzysztof Penderecki

I have spent decades searching for and discovering new sounds. At the same time, I have closely studied the forms, styles and harmonies of past eras. I have continued to adhere to both principles … my current creative output is a synthesis. (Krzysztof Penderecki)

Krzysztof Penderecki was born on 23 November 1933 in Dębica (Poland). He received violin and piano tuition at a very early age and entered the Conservatoire in Krakow when he was 18. From 1954, he studied composition with Artur Malewski and Stanislas Wiechowicz at the Krakow Academy of Music where he was subsequently appointed as professor in 1958. One year later, Penderecki won all three available prizes at the II Warsaw Competition for Young Composers. With the first performance of Anaklasis for 42 string instruments at the Donaueschingen Festival in 1960, he became part of the international avant-garde. Penderecki gained a reputation with a wider public with the premiere of the St Luke Passion in Münster Cathedral in 1966. The Polish composer taught at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen from 1966 to 1968. His first opera The Devils of Loudon based on a book by Aldous Huxley received its premiere at the Hamburg State Opera House in 1969. In 1972, Penderecki was appointed as rector of the State Academy of Music in Krakow and also taught at Yale University in the USA from 1973 to 1978. Penderecki gained an international reputation as the conductor of both his own compositions and other works.

Penderecki composed several of his works in remembrance of catastrophes in the 20th century. Threnos for 52 string instruments, composed in 1960, is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the piano concerto Resurrection was composed as a reaction to the terror attacks of 11 September 2001. For Penderecki, these associations in content are not merely an abstract concept, but also in their instrumental tonal colouring and dramatic sounds emotionally comprehensible for listeners. Extensive political-social associations can also be found in the Polish Requiem which he began in 1980 with the composition of the Lacrimosa which is dedicated to Lech Walesa. The composer dedicated other movements of this work to the Polish victims of Auschwitz and the Warsaw uprising in 1944. This was supplemented by the Ciaccona in memoriam Johannes Paul II in 2005 which commemorated the Polish Pope.

Numerous compositions from a variety of genres originated from direct cooperation with outstanding soloists including Anne-Sophie Mutter (2nd violin concerto Metamorphosen, among others), Mstislav Rostropovitch (Concerto per violoncello ed orchestra no. 2) and Boris Pergamenschikow (Concerto grosso). The composer’s interest was focused on large-scale musical forms, in particular the symphony. Penderecki’s 7th symphony Seven Gates of Jerusalem received its first performance in 1997 demands the forces of five vocal soloists, narrator, three choirs and large orchestra. This work with a duration of just over an hour was composed under the title within the context of the 3000-year anniversary of the city. The Old Testament texts of the vocal parts have a close association with Jerusalem’s turbulent history. Entitled Lieder der Vergänglichkeit, his 8th symphony for soloists, choir and large orchestra sets text of German romantic poems related to trees and the woods to music. The work had been commissioned on occasion of the grand opening of the Philharmonie Luxembourg in 2005. After his seventh and eighth contributions to the symphony genre, Penderecki finished his 6th Symphony with the subtitle "Chinese Songs" for the world premiere in Guangzhou in 2017.

Penderecki is one of the musicians among his own generation to have received the most awards: in 1966 he received the Grand Art Prize from the federal state of North-Rhine Westphalia, in 1967 the Prix Italia and the Sibelius Gold Medal and in 1970 the prize from the Polish Composers’ Association. He also received the Prix Arthur Honegger (1977), the Sibelius Prize of the Wihuri Foundation, the National Prize of Poland (both in 1983), the Premio Lorenzo il Magnifico (1985), the University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition (1992), the Prize of the International Music Council/UNESCO (1993) and the Music Prize of the city of Duisburg (1999), the Cannes Award as "Living Composer of the Year" (2000), the Romano Guardini Prize of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria (2002) and the Praemium Imperiale (2004). Since 1990 he has been holder of the Grand Cross for Distinguished Services of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and Chevalier de Saint Georges. In 1995, he became a member of the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin and in 1998 a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 2006, he was made Commander of the Three Star Order in Riga, Latvia and is a member of the Order of the White Eagle in Poland. Krzysztof Penderecki is honorary doctor and honorary professor of numerous international universities.

Worklist

Chronology

1933
Born at Dębica (Poland) on November 23
1958
Graduated from the Cracow Academy of Music; appointed to a professorship at this Academy
1959
Awarded 1st, 2nd und 3rd prize in the 2nd Competition of Young Polish Composers organized by the Polish Composers' Association for his works "Strophen", "Emanationen" and "Aus den Psalmen Davids"
1961
UNESCO award for "Threnos"
1962
First prize in the Cracow Composition Competition for his work "Kanon"
1966
World premiere of "Lukas-Passion" in Münster (D)
1966
Großer Kunstpreis von Nordrhein-Westfalen for his work "Lukas-Passion"
1966-68
Lecturer at the Folkwang Academy in Essen
1967
Prix Italia for "Lukas-Passion"
1967
Sibelius Gold Medal
1968
Scholarship to Berlin from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
1968
Prix Italia for "Dies Irae"
1970
Award of the Polish Composer's Association
1972-87
Principal of the Cracow Academy of Music
1973
World premiere of the 1st Symphony in Peterborough (GB)
1973-78
Professorship at Yale University, New Haven
1977
Gottfried-von-Herder-Preis of the F.v.S. Foundation Hamburg
1977
Prix Arthur Honegger for "Magnificat"
1981
Médaille de la Ville de Paris
1983
Sibelius Prize of the Wihuri Foundation
1983
Polish National Award
1985
Premio Lorenzo il Magnífico
1986
Stefania Niekrasz Medal
1987
Karl-Wolf-Award (Art prize of the Israeli Wolf Foundation)
1988
Grammy Award for the "Concerto per violoncello ed orchestra no. 2"
1988
Principal Guest Conductor of the NDR-Sinfonieorchester Hamburg
1989
Manuel de Falla Gold Medaille from Academia de Bellas Artes, Granada
1990
Commander´s Cross of the Order of Merit on the Federal Republic of Germany
1990
Chevalier de Saint Georges
1991
Gold Medal of the Protection of Historic Monuments of Warsaw for the rebuilding of Lusławice
1991
Main-belt asteroid 1991 GR10 is named "21059 Penderecki"
1992
Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
1992
University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award of Music Composition for "Adagio · 4. Symphony for large orchestra"
1992-2001
Music Director of the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico
1993
Distinguished Citizen Fellowship of the Institute for Advanced Study at Indiana University Bloomington
1993
Prize of the International Music Council/UNESCO
1993
Officier of the Order of Cultural Merit of the Principality of Monaco
1994-95
Primetime Emmy Award of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
1995
Freeman of the City of Strasbourg
1995
World premiere of "Metamorphosen – Concerto per violino ed orchestra no. 2" in Leipzig (D)
1995-96
Primetime Emmy Award of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
1997
World premiere of "Seven Gates of Jerusalem" in Jerusalem
1997
Crystal Award of the Economic Forum Davos
1997
Patron of the Festival "Europäische Wochen Passau"
1997
Honorary Professor of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory
1997
Artistic Advisor at the Beijing Music Festival
1998
Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
1998
Corresponding member of the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, München
1998
Composition Award of the Promotion Association of the European Industry and Trade, conferred on 10 September on the occasion of the Penderecki Festival in Krakow
1998
Honorary Professor of the Beijing Conservatory
1998
Medal of the Grand Duke Gedimas, Vilnius
1998
Special Award of the Business Center Club, Warsaw
1998
"Four Hundred Years of Warsaw's Municipality" Medal
1999
Grammy Award for "Metamorphosen"
1999
AFIM Indie Award for the "Credo" recording on Hänssler Classic
1999
Musis award of the city of Duisburg in connection with the Köhler-Osbahr-Foundation
1999
Honorary Board of the Vilnius Festival
2000
World Première of "Sextett" in Vienna
2000
Cannes Classical Award as "Living Composer of the Year"
2000
Ordine al Merito della Republica Italiana
2000
Honorary Citizen of Puerto Rico
2001
Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts Category
2001
Grammy Award "Best Choral Composition" for "Credo"
2002
Romano Guardini Prize of the Catholic Academy in Bavaria
2002
State Prize of Nordrhein-Westfalen
2003
Honorary Citizen of the City of Dębica, Poland
2003
Honorary Director of the Principe de Asturias Foundation Choir
2003
Eduardo M. Torner-Medal of the Conservatorio Superior de Música del Principado de Asturias, Oviedo
2003
Honorary President of the Asociación Cultural Apoyo a la Creación Musical, Oviedo
2004
Praemium Imperiale
2005
World premiere of the 8th Symphony "Lieder der Vergänglichkeit" in Luxembourg
2005
Order of the White Eagle
2006
Commander of the Three Star Order, Riga
2008
Diploma of Honorary Professor of Yerevan, Komitas State Conservatory
2008
Gold Medal of the Armenian Ministry of Culture
2008
Polish Film Award Orzeł for the music for "Katyn"
2009
Order of Honour from the President of the Republic of Armenia in Yerevan for significant contribution to the strengthening and the development of Armenian-Polish cultural ties and for prominent achievements in the field of universal music art
2011
Super Wiktor Award of the Polish Wiktory TV Academy
2012
Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Classical Music Awards
2012
Viadrina Prize of the Europa-Universität Frankfurt (Oder)
2012
Glocal Hero Award of the Transatlantyk Film & Music Festival Poznan for Elzbieta and Krzysztof Penderecki
2013
"Paszport Polityk" award of the Polish magazine Polityka, together with his wife
2013
Honorary Citizen of the Royal Capital City of Krakow
2014
Gold Medal of the City of Yerevan
2014
Honorary Member of the Composers Union of Armenia
2014
Diamond Laurel of Abilities and Competence of the City of Zabrze
2014
Honorary Member of the Musikverein Graz
2014
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana of the Republic of Estonia
2015
Honorary President of the Polish Composers' Union
2015
Per Artem ad Deum medal of the Pontifical Council of Culture
2017
The Erazm and Anna Jerzmanowski Prize of Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences
2017
Koryfeusz Award for CD Album "Penderecki conducts Penderecki"
2018
Great Cross of Merit with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
2019
Lifetime Achievement Award of the World Soundtrack Awards at Film Fest Gent
2020

Penderecki dies on March 29

________

Honorary Doctorates: Universities of Rochester, Bordeaux, Leuven, Belgrad, Madrid, Poznań, Luzern, Leipzig, St. Petersburg, Yale, Seoul, St. Olaf College Northfield/MN, Georgetown University Washington D.C., Duquesne University Pittsburgh, Academy of Music in Odessa, et al.

Honorary Memberships: Royal Academy of Music (London), Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome), Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien (Stockholm), Akademie der Künste (Berlin), Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes (Buenos Aires), Académie Internationale de Philosophie de l’Art (Bern), Académie Nationale des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts (Bordeaux), Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea (Salzburg), Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Irish Academy of Music (Dublin), American Academy of Arts and Letters, Kosciuszko Foundation (New York), Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Vienna), Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, et al. received the title of Honorary Professor of the Academy of Music in Odessa.

Products

Performances

Set Descending Direction
  • Polymorphia
    Conductor: Alexander Hanson
    Orchestra: Kungliga Filharmonikerna
    October 18, 2024 | Stockholm (Sweden) , Konserthuset
  • Polymorphia
    Conductor: Alexander Hanson
    Orchestra: Kungliga Filharmonikerna
    October 19, 2024 | Stockholm (Sweden) , Konserthuset
  • "Als Jakob erwachte
    Conductor: Roman Rewakowicz
    October 25, 2024 | Kijów (Ukraine) , Filharmonii Narodowej
  • Polymorphia
    Conductor: Gabriel Feltz
    Orchestra: Dortmunder Philharmoniker
    October 28, 2024 | Dortmund (Germany) , Konzerthaus
  • Sinfonietta per archi
    Conductor: Jakub Haufa
    Orchestra: Sinfonia Varsovia
    October 29, 2024 | Dortmund (Germany) , Orchesterzentrum | NRW
  • Duo concertante
    October 30, 2024 | London (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) , Wigmore Hall
  • Seven Gates of Jerusalem - Symphony No. 7
    Conductor: Maciej Tworek
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Filharmonii Krakowskiej
    November 2, 2024 | Kraków (Poland) , Centrum Kongresowe ICE
  • Ciaccona - In memoriam Giovanni Paolo II
    November 3, 2024 | Kraków (Poland) , Filharmonia Krakowska
  • Agnus Dei
    Orchestra: Airis String Quartet; Moravsko-slezské smyčcové okteto
    November 4, 2024 | Ostrava (Czech Republic) , Vesmír cinema
  • Credo
    Conductor: Mirosław Jacek Błaszczyk
    Orchestra: Orkiestra i Filharmonii Podlaskiej
    November 8, 2024 | Białystok (Poland) , Filharmonia Podlaska, Duza scena
  • 8. Sinfonie
    Conductor: Jacek Kaspszyk
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Teatru Wielkiego
    November 10, 2024 | Poznan (Poland) , Teatru Wielkiego
  • 8. Sinfonie
    Conductor: Jacek Kaspszyk
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Teatru Wielkiego
    November 11, 2024 | Poznan (Poland) , Teatru Wielkiego
  • Actions
    Orchestra: Brno Contemporary Orchestra
    November 12, 2024 | Brno (Czech Republic) , Orlovna
  • Concerto grosso
    Conductor: Asher Fisch
    Orchestra: Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid
    November 14, 2024 | Madrid (Spain) , Auditorio Nacional de Música
  • Concerto
    Conductor: Aleksander Humala
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Filharmonii Krakowskiej
    November 17, 2024 | Kraków (Poland) , Sala Koncertowa Filharmonii
  • Adagietto
    Conductor: Paweł Kapuła
    Orchestra: Georgisches Kammerorchester Ingolstadt
    November 21, 2024 | Ingolstadt (Germany) , Festsaal
  • The Black Mask
    Conductor: Bassem Akiki
    November 22, 2024 | Warszawa (Poland) , Teatr Wielki — First Night
  • Seven Gates of Jerusalem - Symphony No. 7
    Conductor: Maciej Tworek
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Filharmonii Krakowskiej
    November 23, 2024 | Lusławice (Poland) , Europejskie Centrum Muzyki Krzysztofa Pendereckiego
  • Seven Gates of Jerusalem - Symphony No. 7
    Conductor: Maciej Tworek
    Orchestra: Orkiestra Filharmonii Krakowskiej
    November 24, 2024 | Warszawa (Poland) , Filharmonia Narodowa
  • The Black Mask
    Conductor: Bassem Akiki
    November 24, 2024 | Warszawa (Poland) , Teatr Wielki
  • Set Descending Direction